Just An Ordinary Girl

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

[Japan 2016] From Kansai International Airport (KIX) To Kyoto Station

After months of anticipation, we finally landed in Kansai International Airport, Osaka at 7 am in the morning. After alighting from the plane, we took a short train ride to the main terminal building where we have go through the immigration process.

Foreign visitors are required to fill out an embarkation card and present it along with their passports during immigration clearance. Usually you will be handed an embarkation card before arrival on your airplane, so remember to bring a pen with you so that you can fill it out while on board. Filling out the card can be a hassle, especially for those who are staying in an Airbnb apartment. You are required write down the full and exact address of the Airbnb apartment that you will be staying in and the phone number of the owner. I actually recommend writing the address in Japanese if possible.

After clearing immigration, we collected our checked luggage before proceeding to the Arrival Hall located at the ground floor of the main terminal building. Arriving in Osaka, we plan to head straight to Kyoto for 2 nights.

The fastest and most convenient way to travel from Kansai International Airport to Kyoto Station is by the JR Haruka Limited Express train, which leave from the Kansai Airport Train Station across the road from the Arrival Hall. To get to the Kansai Airport Train Station, you will need to take the escalator up to the second floor.

Once you are on the second floor, take the first glass door on the right to exit the terminal building. Walk across the connecting bridge and you will arrive at Kansai Airport Train Station.

Kansai Airport Station is a railway Station shared by West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Nankai Electric Railway. JR and Nankai Ticket Offices are both located side by side to each other.

ICOCA + Haruka

The JR Haruka train is covered by the Japan Rail (JR) Pass. However, for those who do not have a JR Pass, I recommend getting the ICOCA + Haruka discount set. The ICOCA + Haruka discount set is available only to short-term visitors entering Japan as a "Temporary Visitor" and with foreign passports.

The ICOCA + Haruka discount set consist of an ICOCA IC card and a discounted ticket for the JR Haruka Limited Express train (non-reserved). The ICOCA card is pre-charged with 2,000 Yen (include a deposit of 500 Yen), which can be used on JR trains, subway, private railway and bus transportation throughout Japan. Other than transportation, it can be also be used for shopping.

The ICOCA card can be recharged for repeated use and the deposit is refundable and can be claim at any JR-West Ticket Offices. However, a 220 Yen handling fee will be charged for any balance left in the card.

Ticket Price

There are two types of ticket - one way or round trip. You can purchase either a one way or round trip ticket.

Service Area

HARUKA Service Section

One Way

+ ICOCA

Round-Trip

+ ICOCA

OSAKA

Kansai Airport - Tennoji

1,100 Yen

3,100 Yen

2,200 Yen

4,200 Yen

Kansai Airport – Shin-Osaka

1,300 Yen

3,300 Yen

2,600 Yen

4,600 Yen

KYOTO

Kansai Airport – Kyoto

1,600 Yen

3,600 Yen

3,200 Yen

5,200 Yen

KOBE

Kansai Airport – Shin-Osaka

1,500 Yen

3,500 Yen

3,000 Yen

5,000 Yen

NARA

Kansai Airport - Tennoji

1,400 Yen

3,400 Yen

2,800 Yen

4,800 Yen

It is possible to purchase the JR Haruka discounted ticket without buying an ICOCA card, but I really recommend getting one. For us, we have opted for a one way ICOCA + Haruka from Kansai Airport Station to Kyoto Station because we will be flying home from Osaka Itami Airport instead of Kansai International Airport. Since the JR Haruka train does not go to Osaka Itami Airport, there is really no point buying the round trip ticket.

A one way ticket to Kyoto Station costs 2,980 Yen for non-reserved seating and 3,500 Yen for reserved seating. By purchasing the Haruka discounted ticket, we have saved 2,760 Yen in total for 2 persons.

You can either purchase the ICOCA + Haruka discount set directly from the JR Ticket Office at Kansai Airport Station or reserve it online before your arrival. Reservation can be made using the online booking form between 27 days to 2 days in advance. However, please note that online booking is not available from other stations to Kansai-Airport Station.

I really recommend reserving your ticket online before you leave home. This will save you the trouble of filling out a form with your details at the JR Ticket Office.

There are two originally designed ICOCA cards, only available at Kansai Airport Station - Wind and Thunder Gods and Hello Kitty and Osaka Castle. It is good to reserve earlier online to ensure its availability.

For those who have reserved your ICOCA + Haruka discounted set online, you can collect it from the JR Ticket Office at Kansai Airport Station. Please print out the Booking Confirmation email and bring along all the passports for collection. Each passport can only purchase one set of card and payment has to be made only in cash during collection.

Both of us chose the Hello Kitty and Osaka Castle ICOCA card. We did not claim a refund for the deposit because we want to bring the ICOCA card home as souvenir.

During peak hours, the JR Haruka train operates every 30 minutes, stopping at Tennoji Station and Shin-Osaka Station before arriving at Kyoto Station Platform 30. The entire journey takes about 75 minutes to reach Kyoto. However, please note that the JR Haruka train does not stop at Osaka (Umeda) Station. To go to Osaka Station, you have to drop off at Shin-Osaka Station and transfer to a local train.

Please note that the JR Haruka ticket does not allow unlimited rides and will be collected once you exit the ticket gates. However, additional fees will apply when using trains outside of area of usage.

At Kansai Airport Station, the JR Haruka train departs from Platform 4. The earliest Haruka service from Kansai Airport Station is at 6.30 am and the latest is at 22.16 pm. The JR Haruka train runs about 30 round trip services every day between Kansai Airport Station and Kyoto Station.

There are both reserved and non-reserved cars. Non-reserved cars are less expensive, but you are not guarantee a seat. The JR Haruka train is operated in either 6 or 9 cars and cars no 5 & 6 are for non-reserved seats regardless of total number of cars. You may take any seat available in a non-reserved car. However, from Kansai Airport Station, seats are usually available, so there is really no need for you to pay extra to upgrade to a reserved seat unless you do not mind the extra cost.

Arriving at Kansai Airport Station, the JR Haruka train undergo a quick and extensive cleaning process before passengers are allowed to board. Amazingly, it took probably less than 10 minutes to clean the entire interior of the train and we are allowed to board!

The inside of the train is comfortable and clean, offering very spacious seatings with plenty of leg room. Each car has a dedicated luggage area for passengers to store their luggage but spaces are a little limited.

The JR Haruka train finally pulled out from Kansai Airport Station at 9.15 am. Soon after departure, a conductor came by to check our ticket and gave us a small bow before continuing down the cabin.

It takes about 75 minutes to arrive at Kyoto Station, which is the second largest station building in Japan after Nagoya. As expected, the station was bustling with people and everyone around us seems to be in a hurry.

Exiting from the ticket gates, we were excited to see the Kyoto Tower stands majestically next to the station, welcoming our arrival. Walking out from the station, we headed straight to check in our Airbnb apartment located near Kyoto Station.

We prefer to stay somewhere near Kyoto Station because it is the main transportation hub and shopping district in Kyoto. The station is served by all JR trains (including the Shinkansen and Haruka), Kintetsu Railways and Karasuma Subway line. Right in front of the Station, you will find a main bus terminal for city buses and overnight highway buses, providing convenient access to downtown Kyoto.

Besides being a great starting point for sightseeing in Kyoto, the station building is also packed with shops and restaurants. Surrounding the station are more shops, theaters and hotels. All in all, Kyoto Station offers all amenities you will need, not just rail services, but also food, shopping and entertainment.

It was 10.30 am when we arrived at Kyoto. The check in time was supposed to be 3 pm, but the owner, Mhichiko was actually gracious enough to let us check in early at 10.30 am. Our Airbnb apartment is located in a very convenient location, within a 10 minutes walk away from Kyoto Station, providing immediate access to the public transport.

Before departure, Mhichiko has sent us detailed instructions on how to get from Kyoto Station to her apartment with map and picture of landmarks. We did not have any problems finding our way to her apartment.

We did not have a chance to meet Mhichiko in person. But Mhichiko's husband was kind enough to wait for us below the apartment to hand us the key and show us around the place. He even helped me to carry my luggage up the stairs to the apartment located on the second floor.

Even though Mhichiko's husband does not speak any English, he still tried his best to communicate with us through sign language. He showed us around the apartment and make sure we know how everything works in the house before leaving.

The apartment is decently sized by Japanese standard even though it was really small. When I said small, I mean it was really tiny because there was minimum walking space if we were to open our luggage.

The apartment is furnished with a small double bed, a small table, a small TV and a very old wardrobe. Inside the wardrobe, you will find plenty of bath towels and two toothbrushes. The apartment also comes with wall-mounted air-conditioning and heater. I suggest leaving the window slightly open when you switch on the heater just to let some fresh air in. I find the room gets a little too hot if you have the heater switched on for the entire night.

However, the apartment faces a busy road, which gets considerable amount of traffic. The noise of the traffic tends to wake us up very early (6 am) in the morning. This can be a big issue for light sleepers. But other than that, the apartment is located in a very safe neighbourhood with several 24 hours convenience stores within walking distance.

As expected, the bathroom was tiny with a deep soaking tub. But sadly, it is not equipped with a Washlet, which is one thing I really look forward to when I travel to Japan. Basic toiletries like body soap and hair shampoo were provided.

Just like most Airbnb apartments in Japan, our apartment also provides a pocket Wifi for free. Even so, I would still recommend you to bring your own pocket Wifi instead of relying on the one provided by the apartment. Most of the time, we find the pocket Wifi provided by the apartments pretty unreliable. We actually prefer using the one we rented from Travel Recommends to the one provided by the apartment simply because it offers better connection, speed and battery life.

The apartment also comes with a fully-equipped kitchen. The tiny kitchen is equipped with a fridge, stove and hood, pans and utensils.

In the fridge, there are 5 bottles of complimentary water provided. Other than that, there are also plenty of snacks and cup noodles, all provided for free too!

A hot and cold water dispenser was also provided for us to refill our empty bottles. How thoughtful of them! As a result. we managed to save some money on buying water during our stay in Kyoto.

As we arrived exhausted and hungry, we decided to grab some cup noodles for lunch before we went out again to explore the city of Kyoto.

Overall, we have an wonderful experience staying Mhichiko's apartment. The main reason why we decided to book this apartment is due to its convenient location and fairly affordable price. We love to stay somewhere where we have easy access to public transportation. But most importantly, it was cheap, and really cheap. I would definitely recommend this apartment to anyone looking for a conveniently located place to stay in Kyoto without breaking the bank!

The ticket price table above is for non-reserved seating. Original price for non-reserved seat is 2,980 per person. The discounted ticket for non-reserved seat costs 1,600 per person. By purchasing a discounted ticket, you will save 1,380 per person (1,380 x 2 = 2,760)

Thanks for prompt reply. I'm planning to travel to Kyoto - Osaka - Kobe - Osaka. Flight land KIX and Osaka will be last city before flying home, do I buy ICOCA & Haruka one way or round trip? What does round trip mean? Thanks in advance

If you are landing and flying home from KIX, I believe you have to buy one way ticket from Kansai - Kyoto and Osaka-Kansai. Round trip means Kansai - Kyoto - Kansai. If you want to save some money, you can buy one way ticket from Kansai - Kyoto and take the airport limousine bus from Osaka - Kansai.

Hi Elin, thanks so much for sharing your trip! Would like to check with you for my upcoming trip in Sep! I will be touching down at Kansai Airport - Osaka(Namba) - Kyoto - Osaka(Namba) - Kansai Airport.Should I get the round trip ticket? Also what's the different between the one-way, round trip and +ICOCA price list on the table you posted?

I suggest that you buy a round trip ticket because it is more cost saving. You will need to transfer to the Midosuji line to get to Namba. I suggest alighting at Tennoji Station.

One way means ticket from Kansai to Osaka, without the return trip. Round trip means tickets for Kansai - Osaka - Kansai. You will need an ICOCA card to travel on trains in the Kansai region. If you already have one, then you do not need to buy one again.

Hi thanks for the informative post! Would like to check if I am travelling from Kansai to Namba and back to Kansai, is it advisable to get both the return train ticket (second link) plus the icoca card (first link)? Or i can just get the Icoca card?

Yes, you might want to consider getting both the Nankai return ticket and ICOCA card. But you do not need to book through Klook. You can buy the ticket at Kansai airport too. You can book through Klook too if you want.

Hi Elin, my plan is that I'm landed at KIX and then I'm staying in Kyoto, but when return, I'm return form Osaka to KIX. what package should I buy?? bcs I really don't hv any idea about the package. Last but not least, where to purchase ??

You can consider getting the one way Haruka + ICOCA ticket from KIX to Kyoto and from Osaka to KIX. Or you can also consider taking the airport limousine bus from Osaka to KIX. This will help you to save some money.

For Haruka ticket, you can book online and collect them at Kansai airport. For bus, can I know where you are staying in Osaka?

Hi Elin, Thank you for your reply. I just bought a ICOCA online so now I just need the HARUKA ticket, do u know where to purchase online for the HARUKA ticket (just a HARUKA ticket bcs I already hv ICOCA).

Enjoy your blog and the details provided. So I will need one way Haruka + ICOCA ticket from KIX to Kyoto and purchase another one way Haruka + ICOCA from Osaka to KIX? How about from Kyoto to Osaka? Any idea if it is near to go day trip in Nara from Kyoto or Osaka?

You can take the JR special Rapid service train to get from Kyoto to Osaka. Nara is close to both Osaka and Kyoto. I believe there will not be a much difference in travelling time. You might want to read all my individual posts on my trip to Japan. http://elinchow.blogspot.my/2016/12/japan-2016-7d6n-osaka-kyoto-nara-kobe.html

Hi, I'm planning to travel from KIX - Kyoto - Nara - Osaka, what will you recommend? Also, the ICOCA card you mentioned in the blog post is usable for all the methods of travelling you've written in the post?

You can take the Haruka train from KIX to Kyoto. From Kyoto to Nara, you can take either the JR train (JR Nara Line) or Kintetsu train (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), depending on where you stay in Kyoto. From Nara to Osaka, you can take JR train (JR Yamatoji Line) or Kintetsu train (Kintetsu Kyoto Line).

Yes, the ICOCA card can be used for all the trains (if not most) in Japan, except Shinkansen and Haruka train.

Thank you for your expplanation :) I've seen that there are many different passes like kansai thru pass and osaka amazing pass, do we need that many different passes to travel ard or the ICOCA card is more than enough? The ICOCA card can also be used for all buses rides?

Personally, I feel that the passes are a waste of money because most of the time, it does not pay off. ICOCA card is sufficient to travel around the Kansai region. If I am not wrong, it can be used on buses as well. But I used cash.

Hello! My husband and I are headed to Kyoto-Osaka next week and I'm having a hard time figuring out the ICOCA+Haruka card. If I purchase that to go to Kyoto station, will the 2000 yen (or 1500 yen, if I remove security deposit) still be consumable for later use? Or after the Haruka ride to Kyoto, the ICOCA card doesn't have any balance left and should be topped up/recharged?

To travel from Osaka to Kyoto, you will be using the Haruka ticket, not the ICOCA card. The ICOCA card is for you to travel on other trains and buses in Kyoto, excluding the Shinkansen and Haruka train. The ICOCA will be preloaded with 1500 Yen, which you can top up later at any train station in Japan.

MY family and I will arrive at KIX and we plan to visit Kyoto first. In this case, the ICOCA & Haruka single trip from KIX to Kyoto will suffice if I'm not wrong. After spending 2 days in Kyoto, we plan to move to Osaka and make it our base, where we will take day trips to visit Kobe and Nara.

Problem now is.. For our journey to KIX from Osaka, do I purchase another Haruka one way ticket, or I can use the ICOCA to take normal train to KIX?

You do not need to purchase Haruka ticket to get from Kyoto to Osaka. You can use ICOCA to take the JR train from Kyoto to Osaka. I have written a post on how to get from Kyoto to Osaka. You might want to read it too - http://elinchow.blogspot.com/2017/02/japan-2016-getting-from-kyoto-station.html

Thank you for this post, it has provided me with many information to plan my upcoming 1st Japan trip (still many months to go but I am planning ahead!)I have planned my route and itinerary to be similar as to yours and would need some advise.My intention is to travel from Kansai > Kyoto (Base and explore Kyoto for first few days) and then to Osaka (Osaka as base) > Day trip at Nara and another Day trip to Kobe > Osaka (visit USJ on my second last day) before calling it the end of the trip flying back from Kansai airport.

I am thinking Kansai to Kyoto best is to take Icoca + Haruka like you mentioned (are there timings?) do you think it is better if I take round trip ticket or 1 way?

How did you get around within Kyoto itself (bus?) and Osaka cities (Do you use the IC card to get around is that cheapest?)Understand that from Osaka to Nara/ Osaka to Kobe you took the different railways (which is cheaper than JR pass yes?)

Thanks for reading. Yes there are timings for the Haruka train. But they are very fast, so you do not really have to wait for too long to board one. Whether to take round trip or 1 way depends on your budget. It is cheaper to take 1 way from KIX to Kyoto and the airport limousine bus to get from Osaka to KIX. If budget is not a problem, you can consider taking a round trip, but then it also depends on your flight time and where you stay.

You can get around Kyoto by bus, but I do not recommend because it is slower and pretty packed. Trains is a better choice to get around. You can get to most of the attractions in Kyoto by train. Yes I use ICOCA card for the trains. The fare is the same but I find it more convenient.

For me, the JR Pass does not pay off, so it is not worth to buy one. It is so much cheaper to take different railways.

My itinerary plan is KIX-Kyoto-Nara-Kyoto-Osaka-KIX for 7 nights. I would like to seek your advice on my trip.

1. Should I get ICOCA & Haruka one way or round trip ticket?2. If one way ticket, which type of transport do you recommend from Osaka-KIX? My hotel in Osaka near Namba station.3. Can I still use ICOCA to travel between Kyoto-Nara-Kyoto-Osaka?4. Should I go to Nara from Kyoto or Osaka?

You have comprehensive post and good knowledge of the Japan Railway.Besides the essential ICOCA card that we need, what are the tickets we need for the itinerary below? What are the pros & cons between getting Haruka/Rapi:t/Limo bus for Namba to Kansai Airport?

For this trip, the only card you will need is the Haruka ticket and ICOCA card. You will only use Haruka ticket to take the Haruka train to travel from Kansai airport to Osaka or Kyoto. After that, you can use the ICOCA card to travel on trains and buses in the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto and Nara)

The reason I took the airport limo bus is because it is much more cheaper than the Haruka train and also, my flight back to my country require a transit at Tokyo from Osaka Itami Airport. It is easier to get to Itami airport by the airport limo bus than train.

Thk you for sharing the informative post. My family & I will be arriving KIX 10.00pm on Dec18. We shall put put a nite at Kansai Airport, and head to Kyoto on Dec19 morning. Put up 2-3 nights @ Kyoto. Fr Kyoto either go straight to Nara for a day trip, then head to Osaka Namba area for another 4 nights.

Based on the above Itinerary :1. I will need to buy a JR Haruka 1 way KIX to Kyoto right ? Do I need to buy a ICOCA card at the same time ? Is there a date specified on the ICOCA card ? Can I use the ICOCA card on the bus and trains fr Kyoto Hotel to all surrounding Kyoto tourist attractions ?2. What is the cheapest 1 way train ticket fr Kyoto to Nara ? Do you know if there will be luggage storage service available at Nara train station ? 3. What is the cheapest train ticket fr Kyoto to Osaka Namba ?4. What 2 way train ticket would you recommend for a day trip to Kobe (fr Osaka Namba station) pls ?5. Is the JR Ticket office at Kansai Airport open 24 hours ? If we dun reserve online the JR Haruka + ICOCA tickets online, can it be possible the scenario of tickets 'sold out' on that day of arrival at KIX ?

1. You need to buy 1 way Haruka ticket from KIX to Kyoto. You will need to buy another 1 way Haruka ticket from Osaka to KIX if you are intending to take the Haruka train to the airport on the day of your departure.

It is more convenient to buy ICOCA card with your Haruka ticket. You can use it on all trains and buses in Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe. Furthermore, you can get the special designed ICOCA card too.

2. Cheapest ticket from Kyoto to Nara is by Kintetsu Limited Express train. It cost 620 Yen per way.There are coin lockers in Kintetsu Nara Station where you can store your luggage. If not, there is a tourist information centre operated by HIS travel agency above Lawson outside of Kintetsu Nara Station that can help you keep your luggage. I am not sure whether it is still available, but you can try look for it.

3. Cheapest ticket from Kyoto to Osaka-Namba is 790 Yen. From Kyoto, take the JR Special Rapid Service to Osaka (Umeda) station and to Midosuji Subway line to Osaka-Namba Station.

4.From Osaka Namba to Kobe, I recommend using the Hanshin Namba train, which will arrive at Sannomiya station in Kobe. It cost 410 Yen per way

5. JR office is open from 5.30 am to 11 pm. The Haruka ticket + ICOCA card would not be sold out even when you don't reserve. Reserving help to save you time as you will not be required to fill out a form. All you need to do is to show your reservation confirmation and collect your tickets at the counter.

About Me

Hi everyone! My name is Elin. Welcome to my blog!

I am born in Singapore, an island city-state often known as the "little red dot" to the world. Currently, I live in KL, Malaysia with my husband. This blog is everything about my life, beauty and the world, or whatever that has interested me. Hope you will have an enjoyable time here.

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